


She's A Little Runaway

by lavagirl



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Triangles, Original Character(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27002986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavagirl/pseuds/lavagirl
Summary: When Ariel Bailey starts having problems with a former friend's attachment, she has to take measures to keep him away... even fabricating a relationship with a friend. When she makes a new friend in Spencer Reid she struggles to find a balance between reality, security, and happiness.She didn't think through what would happen when she asked Ollie to agree to their "relationship", and now she's about to find out what happens when life gets a bit more complicated.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	1. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Welcome to this roller coaster of a story. I'm planning on adding quite a bit but I'm not sure how well it'll work with me so I guess we will have to wait and see!
> 
> This chapter contains some mention of harassment, nothing specific, but it is mentioned, specifically in reference to digital harassment. It is based off of my experiences, although it by no means represents the occurrence of harassment as a whole. Please stay safe and aware of your mental health and skip this chapter if it's good for you to.
> 
> This is essentially a prologue. Officially it's the first chapter, but it gives a bit of background on the character and her present relationships. 
> 
> I definitely don't have any experience in law, but with a google search I did some research on restraining orders- the information I provided is what I came up with. 
> 
> Same goes for graduate school and doctorates, I don't have much knowledge past undergraduate tracks, but I'm hoping it made enough sense to slide. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“You have to do something about him or it’ll never stop,” said Daria as Ariel complains to their group for the third time that week.

“That’s what I’ve been telling her!” she hears Eric yell from the next room over, muffled by the door, although Ariel can tell her friends have heard when Gili snorts and Miriam snidely comments, “Ariel, just this once maybe listening to Eric wouldn’t hurt.”

The four women had been friends since they met in grad school- they’d all been pursuing different careers- Gili was hoping to get her MD in neuroscience, Miriam to get a PhD in educational psychology, Daria in theater history, and Ariel going back for a second major in physics- however they’d all met in their intramural ultimate Frisbee league. It wasn’t too time consuming, two practices a week and games on Saturdays, but it was a chance for the women to bond. They all enjoyed it so much that they all did it again the next year, Daria even stepping up to be their captain, when they met the illusive “him”, Jack.

Everything had started out fine between the women and Jack, they’d all been on good terms, Gili a bit closer to him then the rest. The two of them would swim together in the mornings until one day he asked her out. She declined amicably, but he wouldn’t stop. Eventually she just bit the bullet and went with the only excuse that seemed to get him to stop, coming out to him only because he forced it out of her. That shut Jack up about it for a while.

The whole exchange made his presence in their group a bit awkward, but they kept being friends with him nonetheless. Things were more tense with Jack, but the women still chatted with and even texted him regularly (with the exception of Gili).

Since grad school they’d all gone their separate ways. Ariel ending up teaching Physics at a local high school in DC while Miriam could be found working in Seattle as a school psychologist, Gili worked as a neurosurgeon up in Boston, and Daria jumped in whatever productions she could, traveling through the country. Jack also headed to Chicago, finding a job as a corporate lawyer.

The women had kept in touch, and some had kept in touch with Jack, but after he made strange advances towards Miriam and Daria, the four of them had decided to cut him off.

Not that he was totally gone. Miriam, Daria, Ariel, and occasionally even Gili got texts from him that made them uneasy, even after many requests for him to stop. Eventually all of the women had blocked Jack except for Ariel. Which, it turned out, was a mistake. Especially when she found out he was moving to DC.

She’d agreed to have dinner (she didn’t know why, you always say lunch when you don’t want it to be a date), and when it was all done they’d gone back to his place and well, she’d made him promise it would stay “no strings attached”. She didn’t like him romantically, honestly she hardly liked him at all, but she did need the release sometimes. Every week or so they’d meet at one of their places, until eventually it became habit.

Jack started getting attached though. Ariel saw it happening and knew she had to do something. She waited a bit longer to see if she could possibly feel something back. She knew she was leading him on, but she had to get an answer. She had to figure out how she felt. It wasn’t until her friend and coworker, Ollie, a government teacher she’d grown close to through their time working together asked her out on a date that realized there was definitely nothing there for her and Jack.

Ariel told Jack that she was going on a date and they needed to end it, thinking that it was as good a reason as any to let him off easily without naming names. Jack wouldn’t give up though, asking over and over until she eventually told him. She expected anger, but what Ariel didn’t expect was the sheer amount of jealousy that radiated from Jack. Ollie had screenshotted a conversation between the two men, with Jack congratulating him on his “sentimental and intimate achievement”. It was out of line and disgusting and she thought then that she was done with him for good. She would just ghost him.

Five days later, as Ollie and Ariel went on their first date, they realized that at the present a relationship wouldn’t work. They were great friends, but right then they couldn’t be more. They left the dinner amicably, enjoying the company but satisfied with going home alone.  
  


Somehow, their exchange had convinced Jack that Ariel was in a relationship with Ollie after all. Her only responses to him stated over and over that they were platonic, until eventually he shot back with a “Prove it! Go on a date with me!” She knew this date wouldn’t end well so she told him no, and Jack continued to believe that there was a relationship between Ariel and Ollie.

So that brought her back to not knowing what to do. She couldn’t block him, she knew it would make him escalate, but she couldn’t keep talking to him. She continued to ghost him, left him on read, and declined his calls. It didn’t stop him from trying.

“Why not file for a restraining order?” suggested Gili, “I mean, it’s better than nothing.”

“I looked into it already,” replied Ariel, “I can get probably get a temporary restraining order, but even then it’ll probably just block against communication, and even that is something that I might not get. I mean come on, he’s a lawyer, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s charming. I need evidence and witnesses, and nothing he’s sent me after I broke it off could be counted as harassment. It doesn’t present that way and he knows it.”

“Okay, but you have to do something. He was quieter while you were dating Matt a couple of years ago, right? Why don’t you just find a boyfriend?”

“Or a girlfriend, I know you hate going out with me, but we could give it another shot this weekend. It’s been a while since I dragged you to the club with me,” chimes in Eric, stepping into their communal living room with his laptop open and glass of water in hand.

Ariel heard Daria giggle through the screen and immediately recognized it as her thinking laugh.

“I don’t want to hear it,” she stated.

“No, hear me out. What about that teacher you went on a date with- Ollie?”

“Yeah… what about him?”

“What if you asked him to be your boyfriend? You know, just for appearances. You don’t have to actually do anything, but you do live awfully close to Jack, and it might help to have someone you can call on if you see him around or if he comes up to you. Eric, you’re great, but you’re not going to threaten him well. Ariel needs someone to actually be a presence. Just think about it!” exclaimed Daria.

As Eric let out a sound of mock hurt, Ariel snorted, “Really Dar? We’re not all world-class actresses.”

“Just think about it,” retorted Daria, “it could work.”

The women moved on, eventually wrapping up their call and saying goodbye’s, promising to keep the others posted and call again next week. Soon enough Eric settled back into the couch with a glass of wine for each of them and Ariel put on _When Harry Met Sally_ while Eric slowly dosed off. As she sobbed through the final scene, Ariel knew it was time to knock Jack out once and for all.

_To: Ollie Mellor_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Hey Ollie, I have a weird favor to ask, can I call you?_


	2. Hungry Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been about a month since Ariel and Ollie started "dating". Ariel goes out on her lunch break and meets a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here begins the true content, I hope y'all enjoy!

“Bye Ms. Bailey, see you tomorrow!”

It was just after her last class of the morning when Ariel decided it was time for a lunch break. She didn’t have a class the next period, so she headed up the stairs and around the corner before popping her head into room 325.

“Hey Ollie, I’m going on a Wawa run, want anything?”

Ollie’s response was muffled, his head buried in his work, “No, I’m good, but thanks for the offer.”

“No problem, back in 45!”

As Ariel pulled into the Wawa parking lot she groaned. It was packed and she hadn’t ordered ahead. She should’ve known, it was almost twelve on a Wednesday, of course it would be busy, but that didn’t make the idea of waiting any better.

She pulled out her phone to shoot a quick text to Ollie while grabbing the day’s crossword and a pencil, plus her headphones and a book to write on.

_To: Ollie Mellor <3_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Wawa’s packed, may be closer to an hour until I’m back. I know you have a class during 5, but if I’m not back by period 6 could you cover for me?_

_To: Ollie Mellor <3_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_I’ll grab you a Twix…_

She snorted at the response.

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Ollie Mellor <3_

_of course sweetums anything for a twix_

Ariel pocketed her phone and headed in to the kiosk. After ordering her sub (she was number 128) she headed to the counter to pay, grabbing a Twix bar on the way over. As she paid she heard the workers behind the counter call out for number 117 and let out a small groan.

Walking to a slightly quieter part of the store, she popped in her earbuds and hit shuffle on her music, Blondie’s _Heart of Glass_ playing. As the syncopated section of the song began playing, she tapped her pen on the puzzle, finally looking down at it.

Ariel had gotten a good deal done that morning, working through the clues in order, skipping ones she hadn’t known straightaway and she was close to halfway done with her initial run-through of the across. She quickly scribbled down “SWAYZE” for 38-across, “Dirty Dancing’s Patrick”, and then stared down at the rest of the puzzle. 40-across was tripping her up. “Tough and wiry”, six letters.

After a full song’s worth of staring down at the clue she popped out an earbud to listen out for numbers. About a minute later she heard 123 called and sighed. Ariel knew she tended to overestimate timing, but it seemed to be taking the sandwich-makers forever today.

Staring back down at the puzzle, Ariel heard a voice say “Sinewy,” and immediately looked up. To her left stood a man about six feet tall wearing a light blue dress shirt. Focusing on his face with a confused expression she noticed dark hazel eyes and floppy brown hair and was about to snappily retort when he quickly responded, “40-across, it’s sinewy.”

“You’re one to talk,” Ariel muttered, acknowledging the man’s skinny frame. She was annoyed but jotted the clue down nonetheless. “Next time maybe see if I want the help first,” she commented.

The man apologized, “Sorry, you just looked so confused and I love crosswords so much, I had to help out. If there’s any other clues you’re struggling with I can help out if you’d like. But only if you want my help!”

Ariel begrudgingly agreed, figuring having some company during the wait wouldn’t hurt and the two spent the next seven minutes completing the puzzle. When they had finished Ariel attempted to start a conversation with the man.

“So mister, it seems you’re a crossword god. Do you have any other special talents?”

The mystery man looked thrilled at the question and responded in earnest.

“Actually, I’m very good at close-up magic,” he said while producing a coin from behind Ariel’s ear and a laugh from the woman.

“Okay Mr. Magic Man. Your skills include crossword puzzles and close-up magic,” she recited while pretending to take notes on the margins of the completed puzzle. “Well, I can only assume that you’re also okay at Bananagrams because you seem to know so many words, but I’m the best Bananagrammer I know, even if my crossword skills aren’t quite up to par. I’m working on them though, the ‘gram helps. Maybe someday I’ll reach your level…”

“Number 128!” called the sandwich-maker and Ariel slipped the book under her arm, sandwiching the puzzle inside, and accidentally bumping her new acquaintance on the way to the counter with a quick sorry and “Nice to meet you!”

Glancing at her watch, Ariel saw she only had about 15 minutes before the next period began, and she ran to the car, driving back to the school as quickly as she could. Rushing up to Ollie’s classroom the second she arrived back at the school, busy with students changing class, she tossed him the Twix bar with one hand and blurted “I’m back, don’t need to cover, enjoy the Twix,” before retreating quickly back down the stairs, book still tucked under her arm.

Reaching her classroom, Ariel set the book down on her table, taking a breath with only a couple of minutes to spare before the class began. As she looked down at the puzzle stuck between the pages, she noticed something she hadn’t remembered seeing before on the page- on closer examination she saw that there was a phone number and a message.

As she pulled out the puzzle, she read the message and smiled.

_I’d love to lose to you in Bananagrams some time. –Mr. Magic Man_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lack of knowledge of Wawa in some parts of America scares me. For those of you who are unaware, it's essentially a convenience store with made-at-the-ready items such as smoothies, burritos, and of course sandwiches. 
> 
> I hope you liked this, I thought this idea would be a good way for them to meet, over sandwiches and with a puzzle. 
> 
> I'm hoping to write a bit more this week and hopefully have another chapter ready some time next week, so see you then!


	3. All Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ariel and her mystery man meet up for a game night, but she encounters some trouble on the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bananagrams is better Scrabble and I will die on that hill. 
> 
> There is some mention of attempted thievery so be warned, but nothing too aggressive or graphic.
> 
> Enjoy!

_To: Mr. Magic Man_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Hey, Mr. Magic Man. When are you free this weekend? I’m looking forward to watching you lose._

_-Bananagrammer Extraordinaire_

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Mr. Magic Man_

_Well, Bananagrammer Extraordinaire, I’m free Friday and Saturday night, one of those work for you?_

_To: Mr. Magic Man_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_I can’t do Saturday, so Friday night it is! I know a good open-late café with a great board game collection, Bananagrams included, of course._

The two finalized their plan, deciding to meet at eight, and Ariel went back to grading some worksheets. They’d just started their unit on Newton’s Laws of motion and she was already getting tired of hearing her students spout Hamilton every time Newton’s Third Law was brought up. She was ready for her Friday fun night.

Ariel was a cautious person. She didn’t normally play board games with strangers she met in Wawa, but something about the man intrigued her. It wasn’t just his appearance, it was also the way he held himself and acted. She was curious about him. Besides, if things went _that_ badly she always carried pepper spray on her.

Friday rolled around quickly and at the end of the day Ariel found herself stopping by Ollie’s room to let him know she would be over the next night by six to pick him up for their “date”- they were going bowling.

The first term of their deal had been weekly “dates” and eventually they’d settled into the habit of going out on Saturdays. With both of them working Monday through Friday each week and Sundays generally reserved for Eric to recover in Ariel’s apartment, Saturdays were the logical choice. The two alternated deciding what to do, so this week Ariel had chosen crappy bowling alley food to go with a few games and then gaming at the connected arcade.

Pulling into the building’s garage, Ariel grabbed her stuff and wandered up to the apartment, enjoying the silence that came with Eric being at work. Flipping on the TV to _Law and Order_ as she finished grading papers, she lost track of time and when she’d finally wrapped up, it was almost seven. Reheating some leftovers that Eric had brought home from work, she finished straightening up and was on her way by 7:30.

Ariel knew she could easily drive to the café in a quarter of the time it would take her to walk, even with traffic, but there was something about walking through the city at night that she just loved.

Playing “The Queen Is Dead” by The Smiths, she hummed her way through the album, only about two blocks from the café when she felt a hand roughly grabbing her arm and turning her, while another hand reached for her purse. Grabbing the pepper spray out of her pocket, Ariel sprayed it a little at herself before, with eyes burning, yelling, “Help!” and twisting the bottle to spray in her attacker’s face this time, holding the apparatus down for a few seconds before he released her enough that she was quickly able to run towards the café, not stopping until she made it inside.

Ariel was still a few minutes early, so she quickly made her way to the nearest napkin dispenser and then the bathroom to wash out her eyes. When she remerged, still a bit teary eyed, she saw her mystery man sitting down and walked over to meet him.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she laughed, “I just sprayed myself with pepper spray by accident. I’m a bit of a klutz sometimes, but I did manage to hit the guy with it the second time.”

“Okay, you haven’t ordered yet, so when you go get your drink ask for a paper towel with some milk on it. Resting it on your eyes will help to reduce the effects of the spray. Make sure it’s whole milk. The fat will stop the compounds in the spray from really reacting with your eyes and engaging the nerves in your body,” he suggested.

She briefly thanked him and made her way over to the counter, ordering a black coffee and retrieving the milk-soaked towels. When Ariel made it back to the table she set the coffee down, tilted her head back, placed the paper towels over her eyes, and teased, “I just realized I still don’t know your name! You’re currently saving me from immeasurable pain and I can’t even thank you properly. I’m Ariel Bailey.”

“Spencer Reid,” said her new friend, “And I think I may have a friend who will be willing to teach you some real self-defense if you’re interested. You know, just so that you don’t blind yourself again.”

“Well, Spencer, that sounds great. And once again, thank you.”

They spent the next couple of minutes chatting about what they did, she found out he was a college professor teaching criminology and criminal psychology, he took his coffee with lots of sugar (she found this out as he added a smaller amount to hers as per her request and then proceeded to dump half of the container in his), and that he was a bit of a germaphobe.

When she finally took the towels off of her eyes and dabbed at them with a dry napkin, she was ready for what they had come for- Bananagrams.

They got through three games before he revealed to her why he was winning- he had an IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory, making it that much easier for him to decipher the random letters and make new words with each new letter he drew. He let her win the fourth game. She could tell, especially when she played Duloc and he let her have it.

It didn’t save her from his teasing though.

“Duloc, like the Lordship from _Shrek_?”

“Yes! It used up my tiles, and that’s all I needed! Besides, I’m surprised you even understood the reference, you don’t seem the type to watch animated kids movies in your free time.”

Spencer blushed, “I babysit my godsons sometimes and they have made me watch it with them at least once before. Not my favorite movie, but they love it, so I let it be.”

The two played one more game (which Spencer won), Ariel finding out more about Spencer’s two godsons, the Shrek-lovers named Michael and Henry, plus a third, Hank, who was still just a toddler.

The two sat and chatted for a bit longer before Ariel realized how late it was and mentioned that it was getting to be time for her to head home. Spencer offered to drive her, but she refused, saying she’d be sure to aim the pepper spray the right way the next time, and laughing at the concerned look on his face as she told him not to worry.

“Oh, and let me know what that friend of yours says about self-defense training, I really would appreciate it.”

Spencer gave a small smile, “Of course, I’ll tell you as soon as I get an answer. We should do this again sometime. Do you by any chance play chess?”

“I’ve tried over and over, but I can’t seem to figure it out. Any chance you’re a good teacher?” Ariel questioned.

Spencer smirked, “I guess you’ll just have to find out.”

Ariel smiled, giving a quick goodbye and wave before heading out the door, putting in her earbuds and letting the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s _Rhiannon_ fill her head, thinking about the great night she had just had and, for the first time in her life, actually liking the idea of chess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this!
> 
> I realize Ariel doesn't talk much about herself, but maybe she'll start opening up more soon.
> 
> The next chapter will hopefully make an appearance some time in the next week. It'll be a fun one!


	4. The Mystery Of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roomate Bonding!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit fluffy, sorry. Next chapter we get Emily in here, and get to see some self-defense action.

It was late Saturday night after her date with Ollie. They’d collectively won enough tickets for two giant inflatable swords and then proceeded to commence a duel in the middle of the bowling alley, but now she was worn out and tired. Quietly groaning as she walked into the apartment and hearing noises that maybe she didn’t want to coming from Eric’s side, Ariel shut the door to her room and put her The Mamas & The Papas record on just loud enough to drown out the sounds coming from down the hallway. Exhausted from the events of the past two evenings, coupled with the work of the week, she passed out almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Slapping her alarm off at 9:30, Ariel dragged herself out of bed and into the living room to start working on the week’s lesson plan, still clad in her pajamas. When Dylan, Eric’s on-again, off-again boyfriend quietly exited Eric’s room with a wave at around 10:30, she took it as a reminder that soon she had to get breakfast going. She was further nudged to do it as she received a picture from Ollie of his IHOP cupcake pancakes, his choice this Sunday. Just as Ariel had her weekend routines, Ollie had his, although they mostly involved food, especially grabbing brunch with his friends. This week he was spending time with his best friend Mara. She and Ariel got along well and Ariel truly loved hanging out with her. Mara was a lovely and enthusiastic person, someone you could never tire of, and always great to talk to.

Drawing herself from the living room, Ariel began preparing breakfast, pulling the hash browns from the freezer and starting a pot of coffee before remembering to grab the frying pan and bacon too. By the time Eric had wandered into the kitchen about twenty minutes later, a meal of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and coffee was ready for both of them, with a glass of water and a V8 juice for Eric, his “foolproof” hangover cure.

After a brief discussion of his night, Ariel told Eric about her weekend, starting with her night out with Spencer.

“He seems like a nice guy! At least he didn’t let you go blind. I probably would’ve,” he joked.

“Shush, or you’ll have to make yourself breakfast next time,” Ariel retorted, snorting. “He is nice though. I think we’re planning to play chess next time. Or rather, he’s going to play chess and I’m going to uselessly move my pawns around until they’re all captured and then he gets my king in check.”

Eric looked lost. “At least you have an idea of how the game works. I didn’t understand a single thing you just said. You do realize this was basically a date, right? So, was he at least cute? Please tell me at least the guy was attractive.”

“Okay, you know it can’t be a date. Even if I did want to date him, which I don’t, Ollie and I have a deal. We said at least three months and then we’d revaluate. It’s only been one and a half so far, so it’s not going anywhere with Spencer.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” scolded Eric, “Is he cute?”

Ariel sighed. “Yes, he is attractive. But again, I’m not planning to date him.” She got up, taking her empty plate to the sink and effectively ending the conversation.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were sitting on the couch about to start _Call Me By Your Name_.

“I still don’t know why you love this movie so much. It’s just sad and none of the characters are even pretty enough to make it worthwhile. How is this a comfort movie?”

“It’s all about Armie Hammer. It always was, always will be. And you can’t fight with me on that. He is a very attractive man.”

“He’s not my type,” replied Ariel. “But actually I revoke my earlier statement. Elio’s mom is really pretty. She’s the only one in this movie I think I could ever get the hype behind.”

Ariel changed her mind about five minutes in. “I take that back, Marzia is hot too, and I guess Elio is ‘cute’, but I wouldn’t go further than that.”

Going back to her lesson plan and generally tuning out the movie, Ariel almost didn’t notice when Eric immediately flipped on High School Musical as soon as the previous movie ended.

“I see we’re really pulling out _ALL_ of the stops today,” she commented, knowing that with High School Musical always came High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3. She didn’t mind though, the movies weren’t bad and they made good background noise.

“What can I say, we’ve both had long weeks,” replied Eric.

When she finished everything she needed to for the week around halfway through High School Musical 2, she sat back and enjoyed the rest of the movies.

Whipping up some pasta and heating marinara sauce for their dinner, the two discussed the relationship between Chad and Ryan, creating scenarios that they wished had been in the movies. The conversation resulted in Eric showing Ariel a video he’d seen a few weeks before, detailing the reasons for Chad and Ryan’s clothes swap in “I Don’t Dance”, and making her laugh.

After dinner, they each headed to their respective rooms, Ariel scrolling through Facebook quickly, smiling at the picture of Ollie and Mara with their pancakes that he’d posted. Finishing her browsing and opening her copy of “Just Mercy”, she had just begun reading, continuing from where she’d left off, when she heard a quick buzz from her phone. Picking it up she saw a message from Spencer.

_From: Spencer Reid_

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_She said yes! Here’s her information, I hope this helps you keep your eyes, and the rest of you safe from danger. She’s one of the best._

He’d attached a name, Emily Prentiss, and a phone number, which she added to her contacts and made a mental note to text about self-defense lessons as soon as she could. Typing a quick thank you to Spencer she picked up her book and continued reading, finally getting tired and heading to bed, ready for the week ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to the video referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP9lnN9rrd0
> 
> I hope you liked it, I know it was a bit fluffy, but next chapter we discover a bit more about Spencer that maybe he didn't talk about on the ...first date? Is that what we're calling it?


	5. Mustang Sally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self-Defense and Emily bonding!

When Ariel woke up on Monday morning, she was greeted with an unwelcome notification- Jack had sent her Ollie’s post and asked, “He seems awfully close with this girl. Are you sure she’s not a threat to your relationship?” Responding with a quick “We both have friends, believe it or not,” she took a screenshot and sent it to Ollie, angrily remarking about how she wished she were mean enough to actually block him, knowing he would do so and wondering why she could never force herself to do it too.

Getting ready for the day and angrily marching out of the room, Ariel saw as Eric recognized the expression on her face and decided that asking questions wasn’t a good idea. He quickly pushed a mug of coffee towards her and quietly said “I’m just text me if you want to talk, I can take a few minutes off to chat.”

Ariel gratefully nodded, Eric heading off to the diner where he worked the morning shift, and poured herself a bowl of Applejacks for breakfast. It was then that she remembered the contact she’d saved the night before and figuring she could put her pent-up aggression to good use.

_To: Emily Prentiss_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Hi, Emily? I’m Ariel, Spencer told me that you would be able to help me learn some self-defense maneuvers if you’re still up for it. I work until about four Monday through Friday, but other than that I never seem to have plans, so just let me know when works for you, but only if you’re still willing. Thank you!_

Finishing up her breakfast, Ariel collected the papers scattered around her apartment, got everything assembled, and then headed in to work. After setting out the pieces for that day’s lab and setting her whiteboard up, she read until the students started coming into the classroom,. Putting her book away, she started a conversation with one of her students, making it through the whole day without thinking about what she’d woken up to that morning.

Checking her phone when the day finally wrapped up, she saw she had another notification from Jack, which she chose to ignore, and a new message from Emily, which she eagerly opened.

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Emily Prentiss_

_Hey Ariel! Yeah, I’d still love to help you out, Reid told me you’d probably be reaching out sometime soon. I’m done work at around 5:30 every day, unless it’s especially busy, and there’s a gym we could use here if you want to come over on Wednesday and I can help you learn some new tricks!_

Ariel responded with an affirmation and the two planned a time, Emily giving her an address and directions and telling Ariel that when she got to the gate she should give her name and mention she was there to meet with Emily Prentiss and show the strange guest pass she’d been given that she’d only had time to glance at as she printed it out on her way in from school.

  
It wasn’t even until that Wednesday at around 5:35 PM while she pulled up to the booth on the path to the FBI Academy that she really realized where she was. Once admitted she gracefully stumbled her way through the main building, asking the man at the desk for help locating the gym, trying to take in everything she could.

The building was beautiful while also being conventional, the walls seemed to convince Ariel that the building itself was stern and not to be trifled with while also showing her the places, hidden in plain sight, where a little bit of fun and personality leaked through.

Making her way to the gym in her out-of-place clothes, comfortable for moving in, like Emily had instructed, she walked through the doors to find a few very fit agents working out to the side, running reps of pushups and crunches. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she awkwardly sat down in the bleachers to the side of the gym, still a few minutes early, when she saw a beautiful and well-dressed woman with dark brown hair and eyes walk through the door. She spotted Ariel, sensing her discomfort and made her way over.

“Are you Ariel?”

“Yes, you must be Emily,” she replied.

Emily smiled, “Yes I am! I’m going to run and get changed but I’ll be back in a minute or two. Sorry for the delay, I just had to finish up some paperwork.”

“No problem!”

When she reemerged a few minutes later, Ariel got a chance to really take in the brunette. She was wearing a dark purple tank top and mid-length charcoal leggings, and the outfit clearly showed her muscles, which she had a lot of.

“Okay, I’m just trying to figure out how everything fits together, so bear with me. I’ve got a few questions. One, judging by the building we’re in you work in the FBI, right?” spurred on by a smiling nod she continued, “Two, how do you know Spencer? He seems to have friends in high places.”

Emily laughed loudly at that one, easing Ariel up a bit. She’d been nervous at first after entering the building, but this woman seemed kind and she was happy to talk to her.

“What did Spencer tell you he does? He’s a professor?” continuing after Ariel’s nod she clarified, “I’m the current Unit Chief in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. In simple terms we use psychology to help determine the motivations behind a criminal’s behavior and to predict what they’ll do next, helping to catch them before they can strike again. A lot of what we do is paperwork and digital consultations, but sometimes we’ll travel and help the local law enforcement, generally in instances of serial killings or child abduction. Spencer used to be a full time agent, but now he’s started teaching too, so he generally only comes with us on large cases but he does help out around the office when we have a lot of work to get through. So that’s how I know him. I guess not only does he have friends in high places, he’s in them too!”

Ariel was blown away. Spencer hadn’t told her any of that, and although she could understand why he withheld it, she was impressed at how much he managed to juggle.

“Wow,” she stated, “My last question is kind of a joke, but not totally. Are all of Spencer’s friends going to be as pretty as you? My friends are all beautiful people, but I’m getting tired of seeing the same faces over and over, and if the rest of his friends are as good-looking as you, I may have to find some excuse to get more face time!” She blushed a bit but felt better when Emily let out a chuckle.

“I do admit, my team is pretty good looking, and I’m sure Spencer wouldn’t mind if you tagged along to a night out some time. He spoke highly of you, and he did mention something about the reason you wanted to learn having to do with klutziness and pepper spray, that’s a story I’d like to hear some time.”

Ariel smiled a bit wider, “And I will definitely tell it, just invite me to one of those team nights out and buy me a drink or two first. So anyways, how does this work? You’re an FBI Agent about to teach me self-defense. Is this a _Miss Congeniality_ type situation where you pick some poor man to beat up on in order to show me how it’s done? ”

“No, I’ll walk you through the motions of the maneuver and then we’ll practice each part individually before practicing it together a few times and then individually so I can let you know how your form is and what you need to work on. Ready to get started?”

Ariel replied in the affirmative and the two worked for about an hour, stopping for a few water breaks, before Ariel had managed to learn basic moves like the hammer fist and a few more complicated maneuvers, including how to throw a proper punch. When the two were done and taking one last water break before going their separate ways, Emily commented on the shirt Ariel had chosen, a graphic tee with the Wonder Woman logo printed on it.

“Don’t tell Reid, but I love Wonder Woman. My dad always bought me DC comics, mostly with Justice League and it’s characters, and I always tended to fixate on the women, especially Poison Ivy and Wonder Woman. I think she may have actually been my sexual awakening. Again, you’re sworn to secrecy. Don’t tell Reid any of this. I’m definitely not going to Comic Con with him.”

Ariel giggled, “I won’t tell him. I actually went with my…” she stumbled over the word “…my boyfriend last year before we started dating. He was Clint Barton and I was Kate Bishop, because as much as I love DC comics, I also love the Hawkeyes. Kate especially, she’s a total badass. I would definitely recommend her if you’re planning to get back into comic books, she’s a lot of fun and so are her friends. West Coast Avengers is so much better than the regular Avengers.”

The two women talked for a bit longer about comics, Ariel admitting that Selina Kyle had been one of her first celebrity crushes, followed only shortly after by Rob Lowe and Sarah Jessica Parker, and soon enough it was almost night. They said goodbye and Emily promised another training session, telling Ariel she’d text her with more information in a week or so. Smiling, sweaty, and satisfied, Ariel walked to her car, heading home and ready for a good night’s sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was trying to figure out how to let Ariel into the FBI Headquarters I did a lot of research before realizing that I can actually ~bend reality~ plus it isn't like Emily doesn't have magical powers as Unit Chief...
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoyed! Ariel will be meeting some of the other team members in a few more chapters so look out for that and see y'all around!


	6. Stuck In The Middle With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night out and chess!

The rest of the week quickly rolled around and as Friday arrived Ariel got excited for the night out she’d been forced into with her friends Allie and Nina.

  
Nina owned a small local bookstore, The Dusty Cover, which Ariel had found shortly after she’d moved to Quantico. While looking for a book for her class she had seen a flyer for a book club hosted by the shop, that month’s book being “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”. Intrigued, she had bought a copy of the book, arriving a couple weeks later with her copy of the book thoroughly annotated and read, and leaving with two new friends.

  
Other than Nina, no one else seemed to have shown up. The two women had been chatting for a while and just as they were about to start their discussion when Allie came rushing in. As she introduced herself, Ariel discovered that Allie was a pediatric nurse who helped stage manage in a nearby theater when she had the time. The three women quickly hit it off and Ariel found herself a group of new friends, the first she had been able to make since moving in, and thanks to Allie a place where she could volunteer to help with costumes, publicity, or anything she could in order to fill her limited free time. As a workaholic, it was the only thing she found where she could really take the time to relax and enjoy herself. She had Allie and Nina to thank for nearly her entire social life in Virginia, but she couldn’t have been happier that they were who she had gotten stuck with.

They all had busy schedules, especially now that Allie’s fall show was coming up, and although Nina had a few other employees she tried to stay open from nine in the morning to eight every night. She enjoyed being the first one in and last one out, causing her to work odd hours.

This Friday was one of their only ones free before Allie’s show. The theater was putting on “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)”, a comedy spoofing on Shakespeare, and Allie could not stop quoting the show- especially when tipsy- and after the woman had downed two drinks she was spewing lines left and right. Not that the others minded, they were also a few drinks under and laughing at the absurdities coming from Allie’s mouth.

When they started calming down, Ariel filled them in on what had been happening with Ollie lately, all of it along the lines that they’d been getting closer and spending slightly more time together. She figured she was just paranoid, because although she appreciated the attention she didn’t know if she enjoyed, or even deserved it. Ariel was too committed to her work, she barely had time for their weekly dates already. There was no way she could be good for him, she just took him from his work too. She also mentioned Spencer, saying that he and Nina would get along very well, and maybe she’d take him by the bookstore after he tried to teach her chess.

When she’d arrived outside Ariel took off towards her apartment, feeling a dryness in her throat and desperately needing water. She knew she never drank enough of it, she had actually set an alarm on her phone twice a day reminding her to have a glass because she knew she’d forget. After locking the door she filled a bottle and set Advil out on the beside table before settling into bed. She hoped that she would continue with her normal trend of missing out on the “joy” of hangovers but could never rely on anything to be truly consistent. She gulped down half of the bottle and passed out.

As Ariel woke up in the morning she found that she only had a small headache, but was still grateful she’d put out the pain reliever when she slowly opened her curtains, wincing slightly at the light. Using the morning for the little recovery she needed, around noon she drove her car over to her friend Ed’s house where she chatted with him for a while before exchanging her small Prius for his car, a dark-gray Ford F-150, for her to use on that evening’s date. Driving the large machine made her nervous. She’d grown with her father’s truck, something he made sure she knew how to drive, but the busy DC roads were different from rural Wisconsin’s flat roads. Luckily, she managed to make it to Ollie’s and into the city without any accidents.

Ollie and Ariel’s afternoon consisted of walking through DC, checking out shops, markets, and art, before concluding with dinner at a nicer Mexican restaurant. The two told funny stories about their week and the strange things their students had done, enjoying the cool air while they sat outside.

Paying the check and heading out the two drove to a lot where their final activity of the evening, a drive-in movie, was hosted. After a few unsuccessful attempts at parking the massive vehicle, followed by a successful one, Ariel went to get popcorn, wondering if Ollie liked butter on it, but too hesitant to ask. Ollie set the tailgate of Ed’s truck up for the movie, _Reservoir Dogs_. He was a big fan of Tarantino movies, but this would be only the second one Ariel had ever seen.

Returning with the unbuttered popcorn, the two settled in under a blanket and chatted for a little before the movie began. As the movie flew by, Ariel could feel herself and Ollie getting leaning a bit closer to one another with each passing scene. She was nervous, leaning on him as a heat source but hesitant to make any moves that she thought could be taken the wrong way. She didn’t want to shrug him off but was afraid of what would happen if she had been accidentally picking up the wrong signals.

Curious and hoping to test the waters in an attempt to gauge a reaction, Ariel looked up at Ollie and smiled shyly. “I feel like we’re a couple of teenagers right now, is that weird?”

Ollie smiled back, “No, but if you feel like a couple of teenagers, is it weird if I do this?”

He lightly held her chin lifting it to his lips while he leaned his head in, his lips meeting Ariel’s as a strange, but not unwelcome feeling shot through her. In her head she was freaking out. On one side, they hadn’t said anything in their contract about this, but on the other, she didn’t mind. But really, did she actually want Ollie? Was her brain playing trick on her to make her feel better about “using” him? Did he even want her? Was everything just out of convenience? Surrendering to the kiss in hopes of finding answers, they kept it up until the movie ended and a still confused Ariel pulled away.

“No, it’s not weird at all,” Ariel lied. Her internal monologue was still running, asking her the questions it had never stopped asking. She began analyzing everything about the kiss, like how she hadn’t closed her eyes even when Ollie did. What did it mean? Was she not good at kissing? Was _Ollie_ not good at kissing? She was utterly confused. The two packed up their things, Ariel still in a quiet and dazed state, before driving back towards Ollie’s apartment. When they arrived she waved and wished Ollie a good night with a promise to call soon, internalizing her need for answers until she was back alone.

Retrieving her car from Ed, Ariel headed home to see Eric still up writing on the couch. He’d managed to get over his writer’s block earlier that day and she was glad to see him still going. Not only did it mean he’d be in a better mood for the next couple of days, it also meant she’d get to sleep in. She wasn’t meeting Spencer until three, so she could wake up at around noon and still work on grading assignments for two and a half hours before their get-together.

Arriving at the café at three exactly, Spencer held the door for Ariel as they entered, chatting on the way over to the counter to order their drinks. Ariel only ordered a mint tea this time, knowing caffeine would keep her up late into the night, however Spencer ordered black coffee which he then again proceeded to dump copious amounts of sugar into, which she now assumed to be his regular.

They sat down at a table with a chess set already set out and got down to business. “Alright,” said Spencer “Tell me what you know about chess.”

Ariel went on to explain that she knew the names of the pieces and how they moved, describing the paths each piece would take, basics she’d learned from her father in middle school. Spencer began by telling her about the parts of the game, over-explaining in the way she’d found him prone to.

“Each game has an order to it. It begins with the opening, where the main goal is to prepare for the middlegame. You will set your pieces in the optimal positions for both attack and defense. Remember, the objective is to protect your king at all costs. Next is the middlegame, where the planning happens…”

Spencer continued and Ariel, determined to learn as much as she could, tried her best to pick up some of what he was saying. It was enough that when he began playing with her, walking her through every move that either of them did and stating the outcome, she began to think ahead and make better plays. Although she did realize that it could have just been Spencer’s teaching. She bet that if she tried to play with someone else she wouldn’t be able to.

The two played for about an hour before picking up checkers and starting an easy dialogue.

“So, the FBI, huh? That’s quite the addition to your already stellar resume.”

“Yeah, that’s actually why I didn’t want to say anything. I can do a lot, my job is a lot, and I am a lot. I didn’t want to scare you off. I’ve enjoyed playing games with you, even if you think you’re better than you are,” Spencer joked.

Ariel snorted, “That’s not fair, you’re a literal genius. Cut me some slack.”

The two continued their playful banter for hours, eventually discarding the games, before Ariel remembered her semi-promise to Nina to take him by the shop. It was getting close to 5:30 and she knew she still had to walk home and make dinner for herself and Eric, so she brought the idea up.

“Care for a walk?”

“Where to?”

“A friend of mine owns a bookstore nearby, it’s called The Dusty Cover. I think you two would get along.”

Spencer seemed to recognize the name. “I haven’t been inside before but I’ve passed it a few times and I wouldn’t mind checking it out, sure!”

As they walked over, Ariel became even more confused. While her conversations with Ollie were fun, there was something about her conversations with Spencer that just seemed easy and carefree. Just by the time they had reached the store they were both laughing, grins spread across their faces. She couldn’t figure out the bond she felt to Spencer. Something about it made her feel as though she weren’t unworthy of the genius’s care or time. She felt his equal and he seemed to be hers, even though she knew that logically she was so much further down then him.

“Hey Nina,” greeted Ariel, “This is Agent Spencer Reid, the one I told you about the other night.”

“Actually, it’s Doctor,” chimed in Reid, “I have three PhDs too, in chemistry, engineering, and mathematics, or did I forget to add that to my ‘stellar resume’ as well?”

Nina laughed out loud at Ariel’s stunned face, not seeing the shadow of sadness falling over it. “Well Dr. Reid, as the lady said, I’m Nina. Welcome to my little shop! I’m glad to see you can already shock our little workaholic into remembering all she missed in choosing to teach high-schoolers.”

Ariel bit back a sarcastic remark- this was a constant point of contention between the women-Ariel was definitely smart enough to have gotten a PhD and moved on from school-aged education. Close to two years after their first meeting, she had almost quit her job at the school to pursue a PhD. She definitely had the work ethic and drive, but Nina believed that this track would just cause Ariel to further retreat into herself. She enjoyed working with teenagers though, so although Nina did believe that Ariel would be a wonderful college professor, she knew Ariel would only be happy where she was then. Ariel knew the decision had been for the best, but sometimes the resentment would show itself, forcing her to push down the bitter feelings.

Hoping to briefly escape the tension she felt, Ariel told the two she was heading back to the restroom and walked in that direction as she heard Nina ask Spencer, “So what’s up with you and Ariel?” and wondered the same thing herself.

Returning a few minutes later, she saw that, as she suspected, Nina and Spencer had hit it off. He’d even grabbed a few books, which she suspected would take him twenty minutes total to get through. Ariel didn’t mind though, she was glad her friends were getting along.

Spencer checked out and the headed out with Ariel, thanking her for taking him to the shop before promising to figure out another time to play chess soon before heading back towards his car while she smiled her way back to the apartment. As she walked, she thought over the events of the past two days and came to a realization. Somehow she had ended up catching some semblance of feelings for two very different men within a day of one another and she didn’t know how to deal with it. She was getting close to being trapped in a Bermuda Triangle of feelings, knowing once she entered it would take so much of her time, effort, and sacrifices just to make it out alive. She had to sort out how she felt sooner rather than later before things started suffocating her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to work on character development, but it's a work in progress so I apologize if things are confusing, strange, or just don't make any sense. I'm trying my best and hoping it'll work out.
> 
> This chapter was partially inspired by the line "Have you seen many Tarantino movies?" a line a friend of mint used in an attempt to pick up a girl. It didn't work. However, I do enjoy a good Tarantino movie every now and then.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed and I'll be back when I can be!


	7. At the End of the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After returning from a case, Ariel meets the female members of the team for a night in.

If there was one thing Ariel could count on, it was repetition and schedule. She had her days planned out ahead of time, leaving only very small breaks of spontaneity, many of which were spent doing work, reading, or simply listening to music. After their first lesson, she and Emily had planned their next for the following Wednesday afternoon, and she was glad to find that it too had a place in her schedule where it could find a permanent home.

  


What Ariel didn’t count on was the fact that although her life revolved on a steady schedule, Emily’s didn’t. She texted Ariel early in the morning on Monday letting her know that they had a serial on their hands and that the team (including Spencer) would be traveling to Idaho. They would probably be away for most of the week, so self-defense training wouldn’t be happening. Ariel replied letting her know she’d practice what she already knew and thanked Emily anyways, disappointed that she would be missing out on something she’d had so much fun with last time.

  
She started her day a bit blue, but by the time her second class of the day came in, the French students talking about the Les Misérables movie that they’d begun watching that day in class, she was alive enough to have a full conversation with one of them about the Hugh Jackman’s performace as Jean Valjean.

  


The rest of the week continued as normal for Ariel except for a brief awkward encounter with Ollie on her way to her car after school on Tuesday. She quickly made up an excuse to escape to her car, nervous after still not having a good conversation with him since that Saturday. In the evening when he’d called her she’d been a bit better prepared and answered without giving any real answers, still not knowing what she felt towards him or Spencer and opting for the minimal-yet-wordy answers that she could give him to keep him busy thinking. Ariel hoped that along the way she would figure things out a bit better for herself. She didn’t, however she did manage to tell him that she wanted to keep the romance to a minimum while she sorted her feelings out, choosing not to mention Spencer.

  


The more she thought, the more Ariel realized that if Spencer weren’t in the picture then she could be perfectly happy with Ollie. He was kind, sweet, and had a good sense of humor. There wasn’t anything wrong with him, and that was the problem. He was too perfect.

  
Not that Spencer wasn’t perfect, of course. He was, just in a totally different way. His personality better aligned with Ariel’s, but he was so much smarter and braver than her. Maybe personality-wise they were matches, but she wasn’t quite as good at anything as Spencer was. It didn’t bother her, it was something she knew and accepted.

  


The next time she’d seen Ollie hadn’t been quite so awkward, although her head was still filled with confusion and self-doubt, however it was a bit less prevalent. Ariel presented her plan for Saturday, they’d head to the beach before everything closed down, there was still plenty to do even if it was too cold to swim, and they headed off in their own directions, parting with a quick hug.

  


Ariel had just finished getting showered and changed into comfy clothes when her phone had buzzed on Thursday night.

  


_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Emily Prentiss_

_Sorry again for missing out on our self-defense training this week, but if you don’t have plans this Friday night, the ladies on our team have a girl’s night in planned. We just got back in town, and we’re all a bit tired so it’ll be a chance for you to meet at least part of the team without being overwhelmed by everyone at once. I’ve checked with everyone and they’re in if you are, just say the word!_

She wanted to meet the team, but she was also nervous. What if they didn’t like her? Ariel knew she had Emily at least, but from what she’d heard the team was protective of Spencer. If they didn’t like her would they make sure she never saw him again? They were FBI after all. She was sure they could eliminate her and get away with it too.

  


On the other hand, if the others were as kind as Emily had been to her, it wouldn’t hurt her to make more badass FBI friends and to see if she could learn more about Spencer. She figured that there was more he was hiding than just his three PhDs and she wanted to see if she was right. Anxiously she typed out a response, figuring she was being irrationally nervous.

  


_To: Emily Prentiss_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_That sounds great! Send me the details and let me know if you need me to bring anything, I’m looking forward to meeting everyone._

Showing up at Emily’s beautiful apartment the next night with a bottle of red wine and dressed in a nice top and pair of dark blue jeans, she knocked only to find the door opened by a bubbly blonde woman dressed in varying shades of pink and purple.

  


“Hi! You have to be Ariel! I’m Penelope, you can call me Penny though. Come on in!” She attacked Ariel with a big hug and led her into the main room where Emily and two other women were sitting on the couch talking. She timidly waved, quickly greeted by Emily waving her over and was introduced to the others.

  


“Hey Ariel, I see you’ve met Penelope, and I’m glad to see you made it here okay otherwise,” she teased, motioning to Ariel to set the bottle down on the table. The blonde sitting next to her stood then, introducing herself as Jennifer Jareau but making sure that Ariel knew she could call her JJ, all of her friends did. The third woman, a brunette with chin-length hair perfectly framing her face and brown eyes named Tara, called Ariel over to sit by her, and so she did.

  


Her fears had mostly vanished at the friendliness shown by the women, but even while getting along so well, she still felt out of place with the decorated agents.

  


Her fears didn’t last for long. By the time they’d each made it through at least three glasses of wine, they’d started sharing and asking things they would only do after that much alcohol and Penny finally asked the question that Ariel assumed all of the women were really thinking.

  


“So, what’s happening with you and Spencer? He’s mentioned you once or twice now, and obviously he liked you enough to ask Emily to teach you how to fight, but I stalked you on social media,” ignoring the soft glare she got from Emily at that she continued, “and there’s a guy who keeps popping up a lot.”

  


That had been another part of the deal with Ollie- they’d each post at least once every two weeks with the other person on any social media in any form. It was a way to remind Jack that she was taken and not an option for him. She didn’t hate it, but she appreciated the way she didn’t have to consistently reject Jack without his acceptance anymore. She couldn’t say that to these women though so she phrased it the best she could while on her fourth glass of wine.

  


“He’s a good friend of mine, Spencer. But also the guy in the photos. His name’s Ollie and he’s my fake boyfriend. Except I don’t know if it’s fake anymore. It could be real, it might still be fake. And now Spencer appeared and so I’m even more confused.”

  


When she finished talking she realized that her explanation had probably confused Penny more than clarified, and wheels started turning in her brain trying to say something intelligible but stopping when Emily managed to somehow get out a good and well phrased retelling.

  


“Okay, Ariel please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think what you’re saying is that right now you and Spencer are just good friends, and so are you and your fake boyfriend- Ollie?” Ariel nodded, “And so now you’re trying to work out how you feel about them. It would be easy but now you have to deal with both rather than just one and you’re confused.”

  


Ariel nodded, shocked at how well Emily had put together her unintelligible words. “How’d you do that?”

  


“I work as a profiler, remember? I look at behavior for a living. Plus I’m not as drunk as Penelope and it wasn’t too hard to link together the thoughts. You’re also a cautious person, and everything about that makes me think you’re just scared to make a decision because you don’t want to hurt anyone. Why the ‘fake-boyfriend’ though? I’m still confused by that.”

“Story for another time.”

  


Tara spoke up after a brief pause. “Okay, I have an idea and it may be really dumb, but what if you dated them both? Obviously you wouldn’t be in a relationship with both, but just casually dating. Only until you figure out what works for you, and you don’t even have to tell them what’s happening with the other.”

  


“No, no, no! You can’t do that! It’ll lead both of them on and they’ll both get their hearts broken and be sad and alone forever! Ariel! You can’t do it!” cried Penny.

  


JJ, the logic to Penelope’s emotion, stepped in. “Pen may be right about you leading them on, Ariel. You can’t date them both at once and expect it to go okay.”

  


“I never agreed to anything! I didn’t say I was going to date either or both of them, I’m just very confused.”

  


“Okay,” rephrased Tara, “so maybe you don’t date both of them. Spend a bit more time with each of them. Over the next couple of weeks try and do a few things with each of them and see how it goes. Collect some data and then revaluate. It doesn’t need to be a quick thing, but it doesn’t need to be a long process either. Maybe even tell them what’s going on. How does that sound?” she addressed to JJ and Penelope.

  


“Better. But still not perfect!” said Penelope. “I just want everyone to be happy, and even if everyone is expecting to come out of it friends, hearts could still be broken.”

  


“Guys, chill out. It’s not your decision anyways,” interjected Emily. “This is all up to Ariel how she decides to handle it. Penelope, as much as I know you like getting involved, and JJ, although I know you only want the best for Spencer, we have to respect her wishes and let her do what’s best for her. We can’t pressure her in any way. That goes for you too Tara. She has to make her own decisions.”

  


Ariel nodded gratefully and then shared what she’d decided on during the debate.

  


“I think I’m going to try and do at least two ‘dates’ with each of them over the next couple of weeks. Spencer and Ollie will know they don’t mean that we’re in a relationship, they’ll know that it’s to help me figure things out, and they’ll know the other is an option. Is it bad if I turn it into a contest? That sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll do that. They’ll each take me on a few of these ‘dates’, and hopefully it’ll be fun for them, but especially me. After all, I’m the one who has to make the decisions here and God knows I’m indecisive.”

  


By the time she had finished her declaration she was almost cackling. The idea sounded like so much fun, and she could tell that even Penelope and JJ were getting on board. She saw that there was still hesitation on their part, but the idea was definitely starting to win them over.

  


By the time Ariel called an Uber to bring her home that night, she had completely won the two blondes over on her idea, Penny even going as far as to create a groupchat with the five women, purely for the sake of getting status updates along the way. She also mentioned cute cat picture spam, eliciting a knowing groan from Tara and whoops of excitement from both JJ and Emily.

  


As she arrived back at her apartment that night, Ariel thought about what she’d signed herself up for. She mentally prepared herself for the next day, not yet ready to explain the situation to either of the men and exhausted from her long evening with her new friends. She was ready for everything to begin and to start making some decisions. It was about time she took back control of her love life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Girls night! New friends! Yay!
> 
> Anyways, if you are able to and haven't yet, tomorrow is election day so PLEASE vote. Every person counts. 
> 
> This chapter was a bit weird but I'm hoping everything is staying relatively consistent and Ariel is really growing as a character. I'll be working a lot on developing her while trying to avoid making the story awkward although it may take some time to work out a consistent rhythm. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please be well and keep yourself safe no matter what happens ANYWHERE in the next few weeks.


	8. Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First date, Ollie's turn.

It was early the next morning when Ariel sent the texts to the both men with the same idea but slightly different wordings. They both had the received message: we will be going on at least two dates, they will be _actual_ dates, and they will be trial runs. There is another person who will also be doing this, however act as you would if it were just you, not as you’re trying to “win”. She made clear to emphasize the point that her emotions were a mess of indecision and that no matter what happened she wanted to remain friends with both.

Of course, Ariel had to first let Spencer know that she was interested in a romantic relationship, and luckily for her he reciprocated, although the minutes between her message and his had her doubting herself. When he responded with a simple “I’m in.” after her proposal, she let out a big breath and waited for Ollie’s response. It finally came back from him, “Sounds good!” She had made sure both men knew that the other was in play and willing to accept the challenge and they were. The fun was about to begin

By the end of the afternoon, she and Ollie had their first real date planned. They were going for a nice Italian dinner at a new restaurant in the area, and Ariel was excited. Ollie had said he’d pay and at first Ariel had hesitated. She hated reinforcing outdated gender norms, but after looking over the menu and seeing the expensive items she decided she didn’t mind this time.

When Ariel asked how he had managed to get a reservation so quickly, Ollie simply responded with “I’ve have my ways, don’t worry.” Ariel did worry, however it was only about picking an outfit to wear for the night. Texting her college friend group-chat, they quickly assembled into a call where she tried on the potential outfits and explained the new situation to them.

All of the women had known when Ariel and Ollie had started “dating”, but she’d completely forgotten to fill them in on Spencer and the activities of the night before. They settled on a royal purple A-line dress that flared out at the waist. It fit in her preferred way, not too tight and easy to move in. She added on a black sweater to help keep her warm in the chilly air of late October. Her dark brown hair was set in a neat group of curly waves rolling down her back with a light pink barrette holding the loose strands out of her face.

Slipping on her comfortable black flats, Ariel was ready to go when Ollie’s car arrived at the building at 7:15. Their reservation was at 7:30, and she was looking forward to the restaurant and the food. As they walked into the restaurant, a soft jazz filled the room, a small quintet playing at the front, a small dance floor in front of them.

The two were seated and brought warm bread with oil and soon after ordered a bottle of wine for the table, falling into their normal conversation about their week. After ordering their dinners, penne alla vodka for Ariel and chicken parmigiana for Ollie, the conversation shifted again.

“So what’s the deal with what’s happening? Is it a competition?”

Ariel let out a large sigh. “Essentially each of you are taking me on a couple of dates because you’ve both said that you have feelings, and I have feeling for each of you to a certain degree. Before we were only ‘dating’ in a purely friendly context, but now I have to figure out two which degree the romance exists in each of the options. I guess it’s really about whom I ‘vibe’ better with romantically. Does that make sense?”

“I think so,” Ollie mused, “So yes, it’s a competition, but the best way for me to win is to treat it like it isn’t and that I’m the only man in the picture.”

“Yeah, that’s basically it.”

Ollie grinned widely, “I think I can do that.”

Their food soon arrived and the two enjoyed their dinners, talking about books they were reading, TV shows they were binging, and anything else that came to mind. The dishes were huge and the two shared a bit of their foods, Ariel tasting Ollie’s chicken and him her pasta, and even with that there was still a lot left over. She made sure to save room for desert, so after requesting boxes to package it up they let their stomachs rest for a few minutes before Ariel heard a familiar tune and started humming along.

“This is from West Side Story, right?” asked Ollie, “I used to watch the movie every year with my mom while I was growing up, it was one of her favorites.”

Standing up with a smile, Ollie grabbed Ariel’s hand and moved with her towards the little dance floor where the two of them danced through the song and continued for a few more, Ollie graciously leading Ariel. Although she had been forced into ballroom lessons in middle school, her clumsiness mixed, causing her to occasionally step on Ollie’s feet, always eliciting a small “Sorry,” from her and a reassuring smile from him.

After about twenty minutes, the two returned to the table, ordering one mint and one tiramisu gelato to share. The icy dessert was a great way to finish their delicious meal, and they were stuffed and satisfied by the time Ollie paid the check and they headed out to get the car.

Ollie dropped Ariel back off at the apartment building and she waved him goodbye before collapsing inside on the couch. Pulling out her phone she sent a quick message to the BAU girls groupchat.

_To: QUEENS!!_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Date one: success! I don’t know where I’m at but I guess I’ll find out soon. Spencer and I should be doing something soonish though so I’ll keep you updated._

_To: QUEENS!!_

_From: Penny Garcia_

_YAY! AHHHH! YES GO ARIEL!!_

Ariel smiled and saw that she’d also received another text, this one from Spencer.

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Spencer Reid_

_Halloween is Wednesday, and it’s my favorite holiday. How do you feel about a movie night?_

_To: Spencer Reid_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_I’m in! Give a time and a place and I’ll be there._

_To: QUEENS!!_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Date number one with Spencer is coming soon. Wish me luck!_

Ariel grinned. She was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's been a while, I've been working on some other things.
> 
> This chapter only has VERY brief CM content, but the next chapter should be a Spencer Reid exclusive. 
> 
> I hope you're still enjoying and staying well and see you soon hopefully!


	9. This is Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer and Ariel go on their first real date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some creative liberty in some things so bear with me if not everything is what you think Spencer would've done, I just went with the flow.
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy!

As Halloween rolled around, Ariel got excited for her first “official” date with Spencer. The two would be settling in at his place to have a mini Halloween movie binge-athon. Spencer’s text had clarified “at least three movies”, and Ariel was thrilled.

Her school had given the students a delayed start on Thursday for “staff development”, but Ariel knew the real reason was to let the students who had been out partying the night before catch up on some sleep. Knowing that most of the kids who came in would be there to learn, and the ones forced into school _especially_ wouldn’t want to be there, Ariel had decided to show an episode of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Cosmos, this one on light. Although it was a few units too early, Ariel found that his voice was soothing, so if the students wanted to take a quick nap they could and if they wanted to pay attention they would learn something new.

When Wednesday’s school day came to an end, Ariel headed to her apartment to change into comfy clothes, as Spencer had specified, and grabbed a blanket just in case she wasn’t satisfied with Spencer’s collection.

Shouting a goodbye to Eric, who had the night off and was holed up in his room trying to finalize his “sexy Elmo” costume (Ariel had assumed it was a joke but had been too embarrassed to ask), she grabbed her keys, checked that she had everything she needed and then drove over to Spencer’s building.

Making her way up the stairs and tying the blanket around her shoulder like a cape, Ariel stopped at Spencer’s door and knocked, only to have the door immediately swing open. Standing before her was a tall man with a pale face, sunken eyes, a mess of bright-green hair-sprayed locks, and purple clothing staring back at her.

“Oh my god, are you the Joker?” she laughed.

“Yes, I am! Halloween is my favorite holiday, I love comic books, and sometimes I have the time to do an absurd amount of makeup and hair maintenance and today was one of those days so I decided since I’d never dressed up as him that today was as good a day as any. Is it okay?”

  
Ariel smiled “I love it! Actually, I’m a big fan of the bat-verse. Not the bat family as much as the villains though. Batman is essentially a billionaire who tries to stop crime. Nothing too special about that.”

Reid let out a loud chuckle. “Believe it or not, I actually work with someone who I guess you could consider the real life Batman. He’s very rich, he’s got a lot of enemies, and he’s an FBI agent. That’s about as close to being Batman as a real person can be. His name’s David Rossi, I actually saw a couple of his books hanging out in Nina’s book store.”

“I think I’ve seen the name, but I haven’t picked up any of the books. Maybe one will be my next read though! Anyways, I definitely didn’t dress up too much but I did manage to pull together a blanket cape, I hope that’s satisfactory?”

“Don’t worry, I know not everyone is as eccentric as me,” smiled Spencer, “I’m just glad that at least some effort was put in. You’ve been standing out there way too long, please come in!”

The first thing Ariel noticed when she entered the apartment were the books everywhere. She hadn’t expected anything less, but there was a solid wall of books as well as a few small bookshelves placed along other walls. On top of that, the desk to the side of the room had a messily stacked pile of books, and any other surface had at least one book tossed onto it. It felt homey and warm, it was inviting and Ariel loved the feeling.

She carefully took her shoes off before following Spencer to the kitchen where he pulled out a small collection of take-out menus from a drawer.

“I don’t really cook, but I do a lot of take-out. What looks good to you? I really could eat whatever.”

Sifting through the collection, Ariel pulled out a menu for a nearby Chinese restaurant and began looking through it, and liking the choices, handed it back to Spencer.

“This one looks good, I’ll eat anything but I especially like chicken dishes, so if you wanted to get a couple of dishes and share I’d be good with that as long as one has chicken.”

  
“That sounds good to me, I’m thinking a noodle dish and maybe some egg rolls too. Thoughts?”

The two agreed on sweet and sour chicken (Spencer confided that he couldn’t handle spice well), pork lo mein, and veggie egg rolls. Once the order was placed, Spencer gave Ariel a tour of the apartment, and she noticed that every single part seemed to match the look of the main room, a brownish color scheme and covered in books, with the exception of the black and white tiled bathroom.

About 10 minutes before the food was scheduled to arrive, Spencer remembered the makeup still on his face and color still in his hair.

“Oh, I totally forgot I was still in character, and yes, before you say anything, I still have my eidetic memory, however the costume is just a part of me now, not a piece of information to keep stored away. It’s almost as if I _was_ the Joker for a bit. Is it okay with you if I quickly jump in the shower and wash it all off before food gets here?”

“Sure!” said Ariel, “It’s your house, do what you’ve got to. We don’t want you turning DC into an army of laughing slaves anyways.”

Spencer smiled, “Please make yourself at home, it shouldn’t be too long. Usually it takes me about 7 and a half minutes to shower and get ready, but with the makeup and hair it may take me a bit longer. I left some money out on the counter so you can go ahead and pay for the food with it if it’s here before I’m done, and grab a drink if you’d like. I don’t drink alcohol, so there’s none of that, but I have some sodas and sparkling waters in the fridge.”

With that Spencer headed in to shower and Ariel looked over the book covers. She saw titles in English, Russian, Arabic, and some languages that she didn’t even recognize. When the food finally arrived a few minutes later, Ariel left alone the money set out by Spencer and paid from her pocket, figuring it was the least she could do for him. After all, Spencer was hosting, she was just a guest in his house, drinking his drinks.

When he finally emerged in a set of red flannel pajamas, Ariel had already set out utensils and plates. His hair was still wet, and something about it made her realize just how attractive he truly was. She quickly righted her thoughts, returning to the food in front of her.

“Chopsticks?” she offered him, only to receive a blush and head shake in return. “No? You, Dr. 3 PhD’s, 3 Bachelors Degrees- Penelope told me that one at girls night, FBI Agent with an IQ of 187, cannot use chopstick? That’s too funny.”

“Hey, you can’t judge a man based purely on his tactile skills. Plus, I’m plenty good with my hands, I just haven’t been able to pick up chopsticks. I’ll have you know, I haven’t failed my firearms qualification in almost 15 years. My hands are very good!”

“Well, now that you mention it…” trailed off Ariel, taking a look at his long, beautiful hands. “Anyways,” she cleared her throat, “Let’s eat!”

Once they finished their meal, the two drifted toward the couch. Spencer’s hair was finally dry, and they settled in, Spencer preparing to play _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ from his collection.

“Okay, quick disclaimer,” he started, “None of these movies will be realistic in any way. I can’t deal with the typical horror or thriller movie on Halloween, especially when I’ve just finished a new case. They’re too unrealistic and just make me angry. I always want to point out every little thing that’s wrong. That’s why everything will be fantastical. Nothing that tries to be realistic at all. I have to enjoy it or you won’t either.”

“Okay, understandable. Let’s get this thing going.”

Spencer pressed play and the already dim lights in the apartment faded to blackness as he reached over to turn off the lamp, the TV’s glow all that was left. Within minutes the Ariel was curled into Spencer, both enjoying the movie. She smelled his soap and shampoo, both pleasantly scented, and felt his warmth, utterly satisfied.

They barely moved except to slightly readjust or for Spencer to play the next movie, _Coraline_ and then _The Addam’s Family_ , until Ariel slowly dozed off partway through their third movie, wrapped in Spencer’s arms. Smiling, Spencer let the movie go and gave into sleep soon after, appreciating the warmth and comfort he felt with Ariel in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had to do some other work, but it seems that I now will have more free time so I may be able to return to posting roughly twice a week! 
> 
> I hope everyone is staying well and that you enjoyed a bit more Spencer content this chapter. Hopefully soon it'll morph into a lot more Criminal Minds and less OC, but in a way I feel like everything's still being set up, so thanks for bearing with me.
> 
> See you soon!


	10. I Heard it Through the Grapevine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ariel wakes up at Spencer's and later has her second date with Ollie.

Groggily opening her eyes at the sound of her phone alarm beeping, Ariel quickly recognized that rather than being at home in her own bed she was laying on a couch covered in her cozy blanket. After a few more seconds of taking in her surroundings, she realized that she was still at Spencer’s apartment. She must have fallen asleep during one of the movies.

Sitting up and glancing around sleepily she heard a scratchy voice from the kitchen.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. It seems like we both fell asleep during the movies last night, and I thought I’d let you sleep this morning. I made coffee if you want some!”

Sure enough, Ariel smelled the scent of freshly brewed coffee flowing through the apartment and started to get up, stretching her arms and legs as she slowly made her way over.

“Ugh,” she groaned, “I don’t really have enough time to go home and change but I’d rather not go to school looking like I just rolled out of bed. I’ve got a change of clothes in my car, is it alright if I go grab them and then head back in to get dressed?”

“Yeah, no problem. Sorry I didn’t wake you last night, I must’ve been out just as soon as you were and I didn’t even think that you might have to get home that evening.”

“All good,” she replied before trudging down to her car. Walking down the stairs and emerging into the sunlight, Ariel adjusted quickly, only squinting a little at the bright rays before heading back up with her clothes in her hands. She let out a small yawn as she headed into the apartment, almost dropping her clothes as she stumbled over the edge of the rug.

At the small chuckle from the kitchen she hissed, “You saw nothing,” and slowly but carefully walked to the bathroom to change.

Ariel emerged in her light blue blouse and slacks, pajamas in hand, looking ready to go. She immediately made her way to her formerly abandoned cup of coffee she’d started on earlier.

“Thanks again for letting me spend the night, I hope I wasn’t too annoying to sleep with.”

  
Blushing at the implication she corrected herself. “To share the space with. I don’t want to take away from the precious sleep I’m sure you need to deal with the weird hours on your job.”

“Don’t worry,” reassured Spencer, “I slept quite well. Do you want something to eat before you head out? I’ve got some cereal in the cabinet or oatmeal if you’re interested.”  
  


“Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to stick around for something, it’s a bit of a drive to school, but do you have a granola bar or something I could grab to eat there?”

“Yeah, definitely. By the way, I noticed you didn’t use the money I left out to pay for dinner last night…”

Ariel scoffed. “Come on, did you really expect me to use it? I’m intruding in your home, you shouldn’t be paying for me. So don’t feel guilty, it was my choice. However, that does mean you have to pay next time. That’s just the way it works.”

“Okay, if you insist,” laughed Spencer, “and here’s the granola bar.”

Ariel double-checked that she had her things, grabbing her purse from the counter and her blanket from the couch, and headed to the door, trailed by Spencer. Pausing at the door, she turned and hugged him, wishing him goodbye and telling him she’d see him around before starting down to the car with one final wave.

Starting the car and driving to work, Ariel turned the radio to her favorite station and hummed along until an ad came on the radio for a TV station showing “The Big Chill” in a few nights. Stopping at the next red light she switched the station only to hear Heart’s _Magic Man_ playing and smiling, thinking of her first meeting with Spencer. She kept the station on until she rolled into her parking spot about 15 minutes before the school day started. She didn’t have any meetings to attend so she, like many of the other teachers it seemed, took advantage of the late start to catch up on sleep.

The day went on as normal, as did the next, until Friday, just after school ended, Ollie popped in.

“Remember, tonight is game night and we’re gonna go out, get drunk, and watch the Redskins whoop some Giants ass. Come ready for defeat.”

“Get drunk, maybe. But the Giants are going to win. Just you wait.”

As their second date, the two were going to head to a bar for that night’s Giants vs. Redskins game. Ariel, raised just outside of New York City, was an avid Giants fan. When she’d met Ollie, a Redskins fan, their sports rivalry had emerged almost as quickly as their friendship, and football became a big conversation starter. Neither team was especially good that year, but both of the teachers were passionate and ready for a victory over the other.

Because of the game (which started at 7), Ariel had planned to meet with Emily for self-defense training session half an hour earlier than the last time. When she pulled in through the gate, decked out in exercise clothes, she was ready to go. Her hype-up playlist had just been turned off and she was still feeling it, ready to learn some new moves.

Meeting Emily went smoothly as before, Ariel had definitely improved from their last meeting and Emily was ready to teach her the some new moves, which she quickly picked up on after a few failed attempts. They talked and laughed. Ariel filled Emily in on all that had happened on the dates, and she even learned a bit more about Emily’s personal life.

An hour later, assuring Emily that she’d have fun that night and stay safe, Ariel drove home from their lesson to shower and get changed, yelling at Eric about all of the papers scattered around the apartment before running the water. After drying off, she pulled out her Giants jersey, pulling it over her head and calling an Uber to get her to the bar, not trusting herself to drive home after her night out.

Strutting in with her head held high, Ariel made her way to the bar, finding Ollie already seated with a beer in hand, clad in a Redskins jersey and cap. Ordering one for herself and a burger to go along with it, they taunted each other back and forth before the coverage began. Eating, cheering, groaning, and yelling, the two made it through the first half, the Redskins up by three.

“I told you! The Giants are going to loose!”

“Shush,” replied Ariel, “There’s still another half left, and it’s only three points. Any minute now the Giants will take back the lead.”

As half time drew to a close, the pair started on their third beer. She could tell it was getting to Ollie a bit more than her, but she couldn’t deny she was feeling it. She laughed too easily and had started tripping up on her words, but she wasn’t Ollie, threatening to stand and dance on the bar when ( _if_ , as Ariel liked to remind him) the Redskins won. She was secretly hoping they would just so she could see it.

Unfortunately for Ariel’s sense of humor, but fortunately for her team, the Giants pulled through, scoring in the fourth quarter and taking the lead. As she triumphantly took down a shot chasing it with the last of her beer, Ollie dejectedly did the same beside her. She let out a large whoop, receiving glares from the other Redskins fans around the bar. She didn’t care though, her team had won.

She and Ollie chatted for a little longer before they called rides and headed out, going their separate ways with promises to check in the next morning if they remembered.

By the time she got home, a little bit out of it and stumbling up the stairs, she was almost ready to pass out, but first she pulled out her phone, sloppily typed out a message and pressed “send”, almost immediately falling asleep, still in her Giants jersey.

__

_To: QUEENS!!_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_I LOVE YOU GUYSS SO MUCH THANKY OU FOR EXISTING <3333333333_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the queen of inconsistency, although I'm trying my best to avoid inconsistency in the actual content, it's only allowed in publishing dates and word count.
> 
> I'm personally not a fan of either of the teams I referenced but a rivalry was necessary, so I did what I did. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Sorry only limited Emily this chapter, hopefully another girl's night will come soon.


	11. Dancing in the Moonlight (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ariel prepares for her next date with Spencer and has an encounter at the supermarket.

Waking up with a killer headache and a glass of water nowhere nearby, Ariel stumbled to the kitchen, loudly grabbing the a glass and filling it, meanwhile trying to adjust her eyes to the mild rays shining through the windows. Grabbing two Advil from the medicine cabinet, she quickly swallowed them down, wincing a little at the sun beaming once again in her eyes.

Slowly making her way back to the bedroom, Ariel found her phone, only to discover about 50 new messages from the group chat. She quickly scrolled through, laughing both at herself and everything she’d gotten back. Her favorite was probably one from Penelope.

_To: QUEENS!!_

_From: Penny Garcia_

_Hey honey, I’m pretty sure you’re wasted right now, but I love you too. Like A LOT. Thank YOU for existing, you’re such a wonderful soul._

As she responded to messages, her head still pounding she smiled. She was so glad she’d met Spencer and these amazing women and everything she’d sent the night before definitely hadn’t been a lie. At that moment, almost as if summoned by her thoughts, a message from Spencer arrived.

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Spencer Reid_

_Just double checking that we’re still on for tonight! I’ll be there around 5:30. Wear something comfortable for the outdoors, it’s only supposed to be about 55 tonight._

_To: Spencer Reid_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_Yep! Still on! Do I get to know what we’re doing?_

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Spencer Reid_

_No, absolutely not. It is a surprise and will remain that way for as long as I see fit. Don’t try and argue it out of me either. You won’t be getting anything._

Ariel smiled and returned to her previous conversation before remembering she still had to go shopping for the week’s groceries while Eric worked. Jumping in her car and taking off, she rolled down the windows and blasted her music, enjoying the crisp autumn air and sounds of her songs mixing with the city.

Pulling into a parking spot, list in hand, Ariel headed over to the carts. She didn’t even recognize the presence behind her until she felt the tap on her shoulder. Turning, she internally cringed as she saw Jack, holding on to a full cart, standing in front of her.

“Hey Ariel, how have you been? How are things with Ollie?”

“I’m doing really well, thanks. And Ollie and I are good.”

“Okay, good to hear that girl wasn’t doing anything with Ollie. That would’ve been terrible for you.”

Ariel suppressed her anger, keeping a small smile pasted on her face. “Yep. Anyways, it was… nice seeing you, but I’ve got to get shopping and it looks like you’ve got some items that need to make it to a refrigerator. See you!”

With that she hurriedly walked into the store, not looking behind her, afraid of what she’d see.

The rest of her trip was uneventful, all of the items on the list found, and an additional pint of ice cream purchased for Ariel to help get her spirits up so that she didn’t go into the date that evening grumpy.

Heading home with her haul, Ariel unpacked and set up in front of the TV. She scrolled through channels before landing on the Hallmark channel with a movie just beginning. She dug into her ice cream, about three quarters of the way done with the almost soupy treat by the time the movie ended. She continued searching channels, finally settling on “A Walk to Remember”, and almost crying at the tenderness and sadness in the scenes.

By the time the movie wrapped up, Ariel was feeling much better and decided to go for a quick walk to make sure she’d be comfortable for an evening outside.

Clad in a light gray gloves, a tan windbreaker over her forest-green long-sleeve, and a pair of loose black corduroy pants, she walked a few blocks over to grab a hot apple cider from a sidewalk cart she visited regularly. She determined that she would be comfortable in the outfit, and although she knew the weather would be getting chillier she didn’t think it would be an issue.

By the time Spencer arrived, at 5:30 exactly, the day had reached its definite but slow decline into night. Ariel and Spencer walked to his car where he opened the door for her to climb in the passenger’s side before gently closing it and walking around to his side.

“I still want to keep what’s happening tonight a secret, at least until we get there. Do you trust me?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” responded Ariel, “Why?”

“I’m going to blindfold you. Don’t worry, it’ll only be until we’re settled in our final location, and the blindfold only seeks to remove your visual recognition of where we are. Is that alright with you?”

“Okay, why not, it’s all for the sake of the date anyways,” she smiled.

Carefully lowering the blindfold that Spencer had seemingly produced from out of nowhere over her eyes, Ariel’s eyes were soon covered by the fabric and she gave him the go-ahead to begin the drive.

After what Ariel presumed to be about 15 minutes, the car stopped and parked. Their conversation, in which Ariel had been attempting to explain the merit of following sports, came to a smooth halt as Spencer got out, took something out of the trunk, and then walked around to help Ariel out of the car.

“Can the blindfold come off yet?”

“I’ll take it off when it’s time, just walk carefully with me.”

In about 5 minutes of walking, Spencer put the object down, said “Stand still for just a minute”, and then after some rustling, stood back up to remove the blindfold from Ariel’s eyes and take her hand.

As she adjusted, the first thing she noticed was the greenery surrounding her. She seemed to be in a glass cottage, which she soon realized to be a greenhouse. Looking down by her feet, she recognized a picnic blanket and basket, and as she sunk down to sit beside a now-seated Spencer, Ariel vocalized her realization.

“We’re in the arboretum! It’s beautiful, but I thought it closed at 5, how did we get permission to be here? Especially with the food,” she added, motioning at the basket.

“I happen to have a lot of friends in a lot of places. It actually was not too hard. Besides, I owe you for last time’s food, I felt that food, plants, and a sunset were a good enough repayment.”

Sure enough, the darkness had begun falling in force and the sun was making its descent in the western sky. It was beautiful; a collection of pinks, oranges, yellows, and even some blues and purples. Ariel was so entranced by it that she didn’t even notice Spencer’s soft stare on her.

The glass building filled with a golden light, casting everything in its hue. The plants, just like Spencer and Ariel, seemed to be glowing, the shadows banished for the minute, a world seemingly full of only light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split this chapter into two parts because I was writing it seemed to get much longer than I originally thought it would! Part 2 should be popping up some time this week (hopefully!).
> 
> I hope everyone is staying well, and if you've made it this far then I cannot thank you enough!


	12. Dancing in the Moonlight (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer and Ariel's date (continued)

When the sun had finally dipped down below the horizon, Ariel brought Spencer’s attention back to reality, briefly removing her hand from his to gesture at their surroundings.

“This is truly beautiful, I can’t thank you enough for finding a way to do this. When we finish off whatever is in that basket, we _will_ be going around and looking at the flowers and plants.”  
  
Spencer smiled. “Of course, I expect nothing less.”  
  


Reaching over and opening the basket, Spencer pulled out a bag of carefully cut bread, sliced meats and cheeses, and a couple of apples. Ariel was just about ready to start on the food when she noticed that Spencer had also pulled out a bottle of sparkling apple cider and two wine glasses.

Pouring it into the cups, he carefully handed one to her, raising his own and saying “A toast. To crosswords, magic tricks, and to all that is bright and good in the world.”

He looked right at her as he said it and Ariel blushed a little before chiming in with her own additions.

“To good food, to good friends, and to you.”

“To us,” finished Spencer with a soft smile, maintaining the eye contact Ariel hadn’t even realize they’d started and clinking his glass on hers.

They both drew back their hands, sipping their sparkling cider before diving in to the feast in front of them. Picking up an apple, Ariel noticed that it was a Gala apple, her favorite variety.

“How did you know I like Gala apples? Did I tell you at some point? Or was it just a lucky guess?” she questioned Spencer

“I think you forget I’m a profiler,” he replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes, “I can tell a lot about you from just what you say and how you act. You aren’t the most difficult person I’ve dealt with.”

“Okay, let me try and profile something out of you then. I’m sure this won’t go well, but I’ll give it a shot. What should I try for?”

“Start simple. What’s my favorite color?”

Ariel thought for a second before starting “You always seem to wear neutral colors, but I feel like the only color I’ve really seen you in is a little bit of blue. However, Halloween is your favorite holiday and the colors most representative of it are orange and black. Plus I think of you as a relatively down to earth person, which makes me think a burnt sienna. How did I do?”

Spencer laughed, Ariel swatting at him, before he responded, answering her question. “I appreciated the analysis, however my favorite color is actually purple. I think I can get yours though. My guess is a light blue. I can explain my reasoning if you want.” At Ariel’s prompting he continued, “You’re a very calm and sensible person, not the only reason, but it’s definitely a large factor. Blue is associated with the ocean, and in my eyes that also relates to the idea of freedom. You rarely talk about your past, almost like you were trying to get away from it, plus knowledge also has an association with blue, and you are quite knowledgeable. Light blue because just as you see the bad you also realize that the light is a better place to be. Oh, and the final factor that did it for me? You’re a Giants fan. Blue is one of their colors, so you’ve been cheering for it for a long time. I’m spot on, aren’t I?” he finished cockily.

At Ariel’s shocked nod, Spencer continued. “I’m taking that as a ‘Yes, you’re exactly right Spencer, you really must be a wizard!’ to which I have to respond ‘I know.’”

When Ariel had recovered enough to speak, the two bantered through the rest of their dinner before each drinking another glass of the cider and standing to look around the greenhouse in the moonlight.

The flowers were a different brand of beautiful than they were in the daylight. The moon shone on them, making them glow almost celestially. Admiring everything around them, the pair wandered slowly through the building hand-in-hand, enjoying one another’s company.

“Care to see something else?” asked Spencer after about an hour of wandering the massive greenhouse, Spencer spouting facts about almost any plant they encountered, it’s origin, scientific name, and just about anything else he could think of.

“Of course,” replied Ariel, eager to see what else he had in store.

Spencer led her out of the main area into a small side room with a staircase leading up to a landing, on top of about half of the greenhouse. Spencer slowly laid down, his head down on the ground, looking up at the sky above, Ariel shortly following just behind him.

“Up there is the big dipper and the little dipper. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The myth behind them is sad but also romantic in it’s own twisted way. The myth says that Ursa Major was once Callisto, one of Zeus’s mortal lovers, with whom he had a child, Arcas. He was said to have been visiting her when Hera stopped by, so he transformed Callisto into a bear. Although he wished to return her to her human state, Hera took him back to Mount Olympus before he could. Before Zeus could return, Arcas, a hunter, came across his mother, still a bear, and killed her. However, as she was dying, he realized who the bear truly was and became angry at Zeus. In an attempt to appease Arcas, Zeus turned them both into constellations, Callisto into Ursa Major and Arcas into Ursa Minor, perpetually moving towards Ursa Major. Another version says that Hera was the one to turn Callisto into a bear when she learned that Zeus had impregnated her, but I prefer the first version.”

“Me too,” replied Ariel softly, “It’s much more peaceful. Everyone gets more of a happy ending.”

Pulling out her phone, Ariel set her soft music on shuffle, “If You Leave” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark playing.

“Care for a dance?” Ariel asked, standing and offering Spencer her hand. He grabbed it, standing and lightly placing his hand on her hip, while his other held her hand. They began to dance, a bit awkward at first but soon settling into a rhythm by the start of the next song.

At that moment Ariel knew she was falling for Spencer. The proximity of his body to hers, the heat shared between them in the mild weather, everything about it felt _right._ She knew she would have to explain to Ollie the next day, but she was ready. It was Spencer she wanted, that she knew.

Eventually Ariel let her head rest just below his shoulder, continuing their dance until soon she moved her eyes up to look at his face, seeing him softly looking down at her too. After a few seconds, Ariel decided to be bold, standing up on her tip-toes, tilting her head just so, Spencer recognizing the movement and bringing his own head down, meeting her lips in a kiss.

The union of their lips was magical. It was warm and soft, and after what felt like minutes, but was probably only a few seconds, Ariel briefly pulled away before slowly returning her mouth to his, feeling Spencer do the same.

As their mouths collided again, opening slightly, Ariel could taste the sweetness of the apple from earlier still on him, deepening the kiss and allowing her tongue to roam around his mouth, eager to learn all it could about the wonderful man in front of her.

As her hands tangled in his hair, his moved down her back, holding her a bit more tightly at the waist. The feeling was nice, the kind of physical affection that she had been craving for weeks but not felt just right in a while. She didn’t want the kiss to end.

Eventually it did, although only after Spencer’s back had grown tired of bending, and Ariel’s calves had grown sore from their stretching. As they pulled away, finding once again each other’s hands, Ariel let out a small, satisfied breath.

“Wow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ends our first conflict! 
> 
> If you've stuck around this long, thank you! I'm glad you've decided to keep reading and hope you've enjoyed.


	13. Be Our Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night out!

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Spencer_

_Hey Ariel, the team is going out tomorrow night, we’re flying back this evening. Would you want to come along? You’d get to meet the rest of the team, but I also understand if you don’t want to._

_To: Spencer_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_I would love to come along with you if you don’t mind! If you don’t want to go we don’t have to though. It’s up to you._

_To: Ariel Bailey_

_From: Spencer_

_No, of course we can go! I’ll be over to get you at seven, we can grab some pizza before-hand. Be prepared, Garcia loves to go big for nights out._

_To: Spencer_

_From: Ariel Bailey_

_I can’t wait!_

It had been almost a week since Ariel and Spencer had had their first date, and only a few days since she’d broken the news to Ollie. He’d taken it well, assuring her that while he was disappointed he understood that she had to follow her instincts and make the decision that was right for her. She reassured him that he would still be her go-to football guy, and he promised they’d still talk about books, and the two smiled sadly at one another before going their separate ways.

As the week came to a close, Ariel was almost fully back on her game. Spencer had been called away with the team to address a case in North Dakota, and they called when they could, but communications had been a bit sparse while he was away.

She’d been filling in the BAU girls group chat and they’d all been thrilled and in regular communication with all of them. The women were all thrilled with their decision, although Penny empathized with Ollie, trying to understand the awkward position he was put in. She discussed it more with Penny over their lunch the day the team headed back, where she first heard the plans for a team night out.

“I want everyone to go out once they get back! Obviously not tonight, they need their rest, but tomorrow night. We’re going to go out, have fun, and forget about the god-awful things I’ve been looking at for the last four days. It’ll be a chance for you to meet the other guys too. Although you and Spencer may just want some time in together, after this week so I totally get it if you don’t want to come, it’s up to you guys.”

“Don’t worry Penny, if Spencer asks if I want to go out with you guys I’m telling him yes. God knows neither of us get out enough, we could both use a break night. At worst we leave early, at best we have a wonderful night.”

From there it was just a matter of Penelope placing the idea in Spencer’s head, using guilt tactics such as “I want to see Ariel again!”, “She still hasn’t met so much of the team!”, and “It’ll be nice for you guys to have a first official night out as a couple.” Eventually he caved, and Ariel was already in so it was just a matter of saying yes and pretending like she didn’t already know.

Ariel was excited for the night out. Penelope had told her all about the guys and she already knew the women, so even if she didn’t click with the men she could try to enjoy her night out with Spencer and the girls.

The club the team planned to go to was rather mild for the DC Club scene, something Ariel learned after asking Eric about it. She didn’t figure this was a bad thing though. The crowd would be tamer and it would give Penny the chance to be the party girl she always acted while still being around the team in an environment where they’d be pretty comfortable too, even Spencer.

At 6:30 Ariel was already dressed up, hair done, and makeup complete. She didn’t know what to do so she started pacing, counting every second as it went by until she gave up around 540 seconds. She went back to her room, grabbed her coloring book, and set up in from of the TV, tuning out the outside world until she heard a knock on the door at seven exactly.

Taking a moment to finish up with her color, Ariel shouted “one second!” and launched herself off the couch towards the door. As she opened it, she found Spencer, dressed more simply then she’d probably ever seen him, before her. In her nice maroon top and black slacks Ariel felt overdressed compared to Spencer in his blue skinny-jeans and dark-gray and tightly fitting shirt.

“You look really nice,” Spencer said to Ariel, relieving some of the tension she felt and anxiety at the potential of her being overdressed.

“So I’m not too dressed up? I don’t want to go and be totally out of place. Your outfit looks great too, it’s a lot more casual than mine and when I think club I think casual.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. If anything I may be underdressed. I never know what to wear to these things.”

The two walked to Spencer’s car, Ariel taking the passenger’s seat, and Spencer took off down the street, headed towards the club and parking at the pizza place a few streets down.

“Okay, here’s the deal. Everyone else is getting there at around eight and I figure parking will be a mess over there. Are you okay with leaving the car over here and walking a couple of extra blocks to the club?”

“I’m all good with that, as long as I get to eat first,” Ariel responded.

Spencer smiled. “Of course, this pizza is too good to pass up.”

Walking into the shop, there was a short line which the couple quickly made their way through. Ariel ordered two slices of meatball pizza, Spencer ordered two cheese, and they chose an order of fries to split. Sitting down to eat, Spencer filled Ariel in on the less-graphic details of his travels to North Dakota, and Ariel told him about her week. Working through the food, they almost lost track of the time. It was 7:55 when they finally remembered they had somewhere else to be.

Disposing of their trash, Ariel and Spencer walked hand-in-hand out of the restaurant and down the street, finally arriving at the club around 8:10.

The first person Ariel saw when they entered was Penelope, completely in character in a bright pink dress, making her feel better about the level of casualty in her outfit. As soon as Penelope spotted them she began motioning them over.

“You guys are the last ones here! We were starting to get worried. Spencer would never be late on purpose. Was something _important_ happening before?” she asks with a playful smirk.

Ever the charming man, Spencer responded, “Yes, we had to finish our pizza and we got a bit wrapped up in our conversation.”

“Mhm…” replied Penny. “Well, Ariel, it’s time you meet everyone else. Obviously you already know Emily, Tara, and JJ. Her husband, Will, couldn’t make it tonight. He managed to get roped into babysitting duty tonight.”

“Yep, it was his turn anyways,” says a bulky man close to Spencer’s height, “I think all of the kids are watching _Beauty and the Beast_ tonight. I’m Matt by the way, nice to meet you.”

“Hi Ariel, I’m Kristy, Matt’s wife. Penelope took the time you weren’t here to tell us all about you, so I think I have a basic run-down of your life together already. It’s good to actually see you though,” she says with a laugh.

“It’s nice to meet you too! I’m a bit scared of what Penelope told you,” Ariel responds, laughing in Penelope’s direction. Turning to the tall tan man beside him Ariel wagered, “You must be Luke Alvez. I’ve heard _all_ about you from Penelope.

“Oh really,” he responds with a smirk in her direction, “I guess we’ll have to compare some notes then.” Ariel snorts, turning back to Spencer.

“So this is everyone then? Except for Will?”  
  


“Will and David Rossi. He’s the author I told you about, he says the club is ‘A bit too wild for him, however young he may seem’ and so he’s spending the night in with his wife Krystal. I’ll talk to Nina, maybe we can organize a book signing for her and that’ll give you a chance to meet him too.”

Ariel smiled. He was sharing these amazing people who were key parts of his life with her, and she remembered something of her own to share with him.

“That would be great- you’re amazing Spencer. Also….” She took a small breath, visibly a bit nervous, “You’re introducing me to your people, so give me a chance to introduce you to someone else from mine. My friend Daria and her new fiancé are coming to town next week, you okay to meet them?”

“I know I’m amazing, don’t forget it.” he smirked, “I would love to meet her. This is the actress right, the one in New York?”

“Yep, that’s her,” nodded Ariel with a smile, extremely relieved he’d said yes.

Caught up in their own world, Ariel didn’t notice that Penny had gone to the bar until she was back, a Shirley Temple in hand which she gave to Spencer and a large blue drink for herself.

  
“Shots are on the way,” she nodded towards the bar where a bartender was filling a group of small glasses and lining them on a tray. As they were brought over, Ariel let out a small laugh. It was going to be _that_ kind of night.

The music was loud but not deafening, Ariel was able to hold quite a few conversations with a good number of shots taken and a few drinks downed along the way. She learned more about Luke’s passion for service dogs, Matt and Kristy’s kids, Penny’s favorite TV shows. Eventually Tara dragged her out on the dance floor and Penny, Luke, and Emily joined them, pulling JJ out with her. They danced for a while, Ariel a bit of a sloppy mess but having a great time.

Looking back over she saw Matt and Kristy talking, clearly in a bubble with just the two of them, looking thoroughly alive and in love. Moving her line of sight just a bit further she made eye contact with Spencer who had been watching her from the sidelines.

Deciding to get him in on the action, Ariel made her way back over to him.

“Why aren’t you out there dancing with us? Scared of our killer moves?” she joked, bumping her hip into his. “I’m sure you’ve got some secret moves you just can’t wait to show us.”  
  
She leaned into him seductively, pulling back as he relaxed and grabbed his hand as she dragged him to get him to follow her. They made it onto the dance floor but to Ariel’s (very) tipsy dismay, Spencer didn’t do any dancing.

“Come on! You’re here now, show us your moves!” she moved closer to him, swaying against him to the music. After about thirty seconds of it he took her hands and started falling into it.

“Yes, there we go! That’s a start!”

“I’m only doing this for you,” Spencer laughed. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

“Well I’m proud of you for just trying,” she responded a small smile playing on her lips. They danced for a few more songs with only minimal tripping before Ariel was about done. “Are you alright to go now? I’m getting a bit tired,” she yawned.

“I’ve been ready.”

The couple said their goodbyes, leaving everyone but Kristy and Matt, who were still chatting in their own bubble, going wild on the dance floor.

Spencer drove back to Ariel’s apartment, the tired woman slowly sinking more and more into a near-sleep state in the seat next to him. The walk back to the car had resulted more in him supporting her weight than he would bother admitting to her the next day, but it was all worth it for him to see her smile as he gently helped her down, emitting a small “Thank you,” from her.

Taking out her keys and letting them into the apartment, she led him to her room where she immediately got in bed and pulled the covers over herself, shutting her eyes and turning onto her side her breaths leveling out.

“Sleep well,” whispered Spencer, lightly stroking her hair before leaving a light kiss on her forehead as Ariel drifted off into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but here it is now! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy, this isn't my best for this amount of time but apparently conflicts come easier to me than fluff kinda does.
> 
> Anywho I completely messed up the posting schedule so who knows when the next chapter will happen! Not me!
> 
> Catch you around!


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